It’s been 50 years since the Stonewall uprising, when LGBTQIA+ community leaders (notably Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera) took direct action against prejudice and fought the unlawful recurrence of raids on queer spaces in New York City, including the now historically preserved West Village bar. Almost 40 years after Stonewall, I came out to my friends in high school, shortly before graduating and moving from Florida to the Big Apple. Growing up as a queer person often inundates people with feelings of shame and isolation, which is one of the reasons Pride means so much to me and millions around the globe; it's a reminder that you are not alone, but part of a vibrant, intelligent, multicultural, and multifaceted community. Queer people are family, and this is our annual reunion.

Celebrating Pride sends a message to the world and, most importantly, to oneself that says, "I love who I am, and I love my community." Recent headlines detailing the loss of young people like Nigel Shelby, Layleen Cubilette-Polanco, Muhlaysia Booker, and many others to violence are clear evidence that there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety and respect of queer people of all ages, especially queer people of color.

With this in mind, I was thrilled to hit the streets of Manhattan during World Pride to ask queer people who were taking the day to celebrate themselves about their experiences, and to capture their all-encompassing beauty for the world to enjoy. Below, meet some of my favorite faces from World Pride and hear all about their Pride looks.

Monochrome Makeup

"Today I tried to incorporate bright colors; tones that were very light and fun. Pride is special because it symbolizes everybody coming together. It's something that holds a special place in my heart because there are a lot of people who don't get to even come to events like this, or they don't get to have a proper coming out — things like that. It's great for everyone who is able to come together as one."

Hometown Pride

"This look is a blend of bride and bridegroom outfits from Sudan, where I originally come from. I wear Sudanese clothes to demonstrate my pride in my identity, and also to hopefully give some awareness about my culture, as we're currently in the middle of a revolution against Turkey. I think today is the perfect day to celebrate my pride and my identity."

Living Bouquet

"Today I wanted to wear something that was more couture, not something that was just rainbows. I wanted my pride to be something that was reminiscent of my fashion aesthetic. I've been wearing dresses, secretly, since I was maybe seven years old, and I just wanted to show that today. I wanted to show who I am in something that was very fashion-forward, and also show my love of flowers."

All About Colors

"I feel like this look represents me. I'm not all feminine, but I'm not all masculine either. So I did more of a dominant look with an army print and then just did my face how I always do my face — with rainbows. I always have color in my hair, because I like colors! I'm all about colors."

Fresh-Faced

"It took me a very long time to be comfortable enough to wear this look right here. Each and every year, I become more proud of my sexuality and who I am as an individual, and it's all because of my community."

Glitter Everywhere

Subtle Rainbow

"I'm super goth, but I wanted to spice it up a little for Pride, so I added a little rainbow in the back. But I'm still dark at the same time. This is my first Pride, and I know it's the 50th anniversary, so I wanted to go all out."

Rainbow Face Paint

Bold Red Hair

"My hair has always been red; I've been wearing red for, like, the past three years. And then I went to a store, saw this jumper, and was like, 'Yesss,' so I had to get it together. I also wanted chest out; embrace the bigness. That's my look for today."

Anti-Capitalist Cowboy

"I got this hat from a thrift store. I didn't want to have my look completely done from big corporate companies who I know don't really care about LGBTQ rights and also gave a lot of money to candidates that don't really care about us. I wanted to go with what I could find from places that were more authentic to the community."

Rainbow Space-Buns

"This is my first Pride, and I've always wanted to go, so I wanted to do something that I think would be over-the-top for my look. Obviously, I'm not as over-the-top as I could be, but I decided to do a lot of rainbows. And my shirt is hand-painted."

Skin-Forward

"This is how I express myself. It's hot out, so I'm trying to go skin out. I'm very androgynous; sometimes I give a little more feminine than masculine. I feel like I'm giving 'em a little of both. I've seen and experienced so much love today — everyone is smiling, saying, 'Hello, happy Pride.' It's great that we can all come together, even if it's just for today."

Glitter Beard

"I cannot grow facial hair to save my life, so I smothered my face in glitter. The only thing better than a real beard is a glitter beard, and I did the rainbow eye today 'cause you gotta. It's a necessity. For Pride this year, I definitely love being around Stonewall, and other beautiful, accepting, wonderful queer people. It's been so great just to be in this accepting space."

Lesbian Representation

"I based my outfit on the lesbian flag, so I wore a lot of shades of pinks to incorporate the flag's colors. This is my first New York Pride — I'm from Baltimore, Maryland, and I'm here visiting my friends. I've seen a lot of love here today."